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***I contacted the moderators of these forums several weeks ago, asking if it was okay to post this information here, but I haven't heard anything back. So I'm going to post this anyway, and they can delete it if it violates any forum rules.*** I received this email from a local autism support network. The author is doing a doctoral study on the effects of autism spectrum disorders on families; you must have a child between the ages of 3 and 17 who has an ASD and a neurotypical child between the ages of 11 and 17. The study consists simply of completing an online questionnaire and then having your NT child complete a similar questionnaire. I have taken the survey, along with one of my NT kids, and it took less than 30 minutes each. In addition to helping increase understanding of the effects of autism, the questionnaire gave me a lot of insight into areas in which our family is affected by it. I do not have any connection, personal or financial, with the researcher, his university, or this study, and I do not profit in any way if anyone participates. As the mom of a child with Asperger's, I just want to help increase understanding. Please consider participating. Thanks. P.S. I don't post much, but I am a legitimate member of the WTM forums, not someone who joined just to post this.

I was able to look at a copy of it briefly. It says it's an executive function curriculum, and its primary focus seems to be on increasing flexibility in thinking. Does it address any other executive functions? If you've used it, do you feel that it was effective? Thanks. :-)

This stood out to me. I understand so much of what you posted. I look back at all the years and the hard work and ask myself why things turned out the way they did. Wasn't homeschooling supposed to be different? Isn't the homeschooling world full of examples of how it IS different? I get that no mom / teacher is perfect, I get that children have free will and get to make choices. But when you've been committed and you've put in a good-faith effort, and the results take the form of your child thumbing your nose at you and your values ... well, at best it feels like rejection, and at worst it feels like failure. I think sometimes we subconsciously (or maybe not) assume that there's a guarantee in this homeschooling thing. If you are willing to make the sacrifice to homeschool, and if by all appearances it's the right thing for your child, and if you give it your best ... voila! -- you end up with a poster child for homeschooling! And if you don't ... well, there's no advice for that, because if anyone else is in your shoes, she's not admitting it. But thank you for being so honest so that I could, too.

Thank you. This says it perfectly. We have observed Passover for several years, and it is a deeply moving experience to see how the Passover foreshadows Christ. We don't do it because we're trying to "follow the Law" or score any points with God. We do it freely and willingly because it is such a beautiful way to experience His redemptive plan. It is as meaningful and celebratory for us as observing Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. There is nothing legalistic about it, and I believe that God is glorified in it.

Oh, heavens, I hope not. I'm familiar with all of that but couldn't remember her name. I'm definitely not interested in a program that has any connection with that. Will have to do a little digging to find out.

Yesterday I had ds take their free online learning assessment, and I was really impressed with the feedback from it. If they work to address a student's individual learning profile, that's great. Their programs are pricey, though. Anyway, I'm just curious if anyone has any experience with them. Ds will be a sophomore next year -- not only do I think he could benefit from having someone else be his teacher, but I think the online option would suit him well.

We got ds' neuropsych results earlier this month. The neuropsych spent some time going over the results with us, and I pretty much understand what ds' strengths and weaknesses are. But I'm wondering if there are any online resources, maybe a forum, for getting more specific -- "If he scored high in this area and low in that area, what are the implications of that particular combination?" -- that kind of thing. I'm trying to take his test results and translate them into practical educational choices.

My son has epilepsy, in addition to Asperger's and ADHD, so I've got a bit of experience with seizures. Could sleep studies miss seizures? Sure. There is something called "subclinical seizure activity" that occurs under the radar, so to speak. An EEG could miss it, too. I don't think it's highly likely, but it can happen. My son had a perfectly normal EEG after he was weaned off his seizure meds this past year. He'd been seizure-free while on meds for years, and the doctor felt that it was a good idea to do a trial withdrawal. So ds was gradually weaned off his meds, and he then had a normal EEG. Then three months later, he had a major seizure -- and he's back on meds now. Why didn't the EEG give any indication that there was still a problem? Because an EEG is simply a snapshot -- it shows what's going on in the brain during one window of time. And if there's underlying seizure activity that is infrequent, an EEG might not catch it. I'm assuming that since your ds has had EEGs, he's seen a neurologist. Has there been any diagnosis? You also sound very sure that your ds isn't on the autism spectrum. Are you sure? My son has some of the same behaviors as yours, and I've been so frustrated because he just doesn't fit neatly into one category. Plus, his different issues overlap. One doctor thought that his attention issues were really secondary to his Asperger's; another doctor felt that while his irritability and aggressiveness (especially verbal aggressiveness) could be due to childhood bipolar, it was more likely that they're due to the frustration and anger that stem from his Asperger's. I went from wanting specific diagnoses to not caring WHAT they called it -- I just wanted solutions. We're still working our way through this.

Oh. My. It's Y2K all over again. :eek: